How many people stand between you and your dream job?

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OTTAWA - There are approximately five people standing between creative professionals and the job they want, a survey suggests.

Six degrees of separation isn't just a game to find connections to the actor Kevin Bacon; advertising and marketing executives say they meet with an average of six applicants before filling an open position in their departments, according to a survey by The Creative Group, a staffing firm that specializes in creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals.

Approximately 250 marketing and advertising executives were polled for the study.

While the field is expected to increase its hiring in the next three months, it doesn't mean companies will relax their standards, says Lara Dodo, a vice- president with The Creative Group's Canadian operations.

"Given the high calibre of talent currently available, employers are being prudent in their hiring and are weighing their options before extending an offer."

Creative Group offers some tips for job-seekers hoping to stand out among the crowd:

* Do your due diligence - Know more than you have to about the job and company in order to define what specifically you can offer. Consult various sources, go through articles about the company, ask people in your network for insight.

* Put your best foot forward - Be polite from the moment you step through the company's doors. "Resist the urge to text a friend or send a tweet while you wait in the lobby; you'll make a better impression by sitting patiently and reading."

* Watch your body language - Do you touch your nose a lot when you're nervous? Do you make and hold eye contact? Do you sit up or slouch? Practice interviewing with a friend who can give feedback about any distracting habits you might have.

* Tell good stories - Polish up a few good go-to anecdotes about yourself and how you solved business problems (but try not to sound rehearsed). The stories should describe the problems faced, talk about the actions you took and wrap up with the final results.

* Ask good questions - And not just about money and vacation benefits. People respond to you when you give them something to talk to you about, says Brian Marchant, director of the business career centre at Queen's University School of Business. So ask detailed questions about the job, or how the team you'd be joining works together. "Doing so reinforces your interest in the position and company while providing you with useful information that can help you determine if the job is a good fit," says Creative Group.

* Be yourself - The hiring manager needs to know whether the person sitting in front of him or her is a good fit. Don't be someone in the interview that you can't pull off every day.

* Be positive and follow through - If you don't get the job, ask the interviewer for tips about how you could have done better. "If you accept rejection graciously, you may even put yourself first in line for the company's next opening."

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